Take a grand tour of Seoul's accelerating architecture scene

Seoul is undergoing an urban and architectural transformation. Pictured here, one of the South Korean capital’s latest high rises, Lotte World Tower.

(Image credit: Lotte Group)

By Scott Bay

last updated 4 September 2022

Contributions from

Noshe - Photography

in Features

The economy in the South Korean capital of Seoul has been booming for decades. With that, the infrastructure and architecture has blossomed too, swiftly becoming world-class. The country has entered a modern-day ‘golden age', with the city undergoing one of the fastest and largest transformations in the world, creating new and exciting opportunities for the urban landscape.

Explore Seoul’s expansion from every vantage point: from the crowded streets that seem to curve around the urban structures to the juxtaposition of traditional Korean hanoks with the fifth tallest skyscraper in the world (Lotte World Tower) completed last year. Seoul is a dynamic city of change.

david chipperfied designs amorepacific hq — *David Chipperfield's Amorepacific headquarters is one of the capital's most eye-catching, state-of-the-art workspaces.*

This is the second largest national capital area in the world at 223.7 square miles; containing within it plenty of architectural wonders. Old and new, tradition and modernity coexist. This is a country famous for its technological advances. Sustainability is also high on the agenda, with architectural examples such as Morphosis Architects' environmentally-friendly Kolon One & Only Tower leading the way.

At the same time, South Korea is renowned for valuing beauty and luxury fashion. The former manifested in the K-beauty phenomenon that has been sweeping the global marketplace for the past decade, with the country's obsession with skincare and grooming resulting in exciting new brands. This is reflected architecturally by additions such as David Chipperfield's Amorepacific headquarters.

Seoul’s belief and investment in architectural advances can also clearly be seen in the recent and upcoming plans for its sprawling urban landscape. Read on to discover more about the metropolis' ever-expanding skyline.

Inside Lotte World Tower kpf — **Lotte World Tower by KPF**
A sleek, supertall South Korean masterpiece – the Lotte World Tower – is the fifth largest skyscraper in the world. It was completed last year at 123 floors and 555 metres tall the structure boasts a 7-star hotel, luxury apartments, business space, an observation deck, and a rooftop cafe.

Lotte World Tower by KPF A sleek, supertall South Korean masterpiece – the Lotte World Tower – is the fifth largest skyscraper in the world. It was completed last year at 123 floors and 555 metres tall the structure boasts a 7-star hotel, luxury apartments, business space, an observation deck, and a rooftop cafe. — **Amorepacific HQ by David Chipperfield Architects**
The recently completed headquarters for Korea’s largest beauty company, Amorepacific, is both abstract and gestural.

amorepacific by Chipperfield Architecture — **Amorepacific HQ by David Chipperfield Architects**
Its design’s ambition is to create a public space alongside the business centre for Amorepacific by incorporating amenities such as a museum, auditorium, library, restaurants and childcare facilities.

kolon one by morphosis architects — **Kolon One & Only Tower by Morphosis Architects**
The holistic concept for Kolon One & Only Tower encompasses energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship, working in concert with education and employee health and well-being. The western facade creates a dramatic appearance to the tower whilst thoughtfully balancing views and shade for the interior of the structure.

kolon one morphosis — **Kolon One & Only Tower by Morphosis Architects**
This recently completed campus for The Kolon Group allows space for collaboration and innovation.

**CJ Blossom Park by CannonDesign**
CJ Blossom Park creates an inspiring and playful workplace to host the various aspects and needs of the CJ Corporation’s businesses in one campus.

CJ Blossom Park CannonDesign — **CJ Blossom Park by CannonDesign**
Hosting 900 researchers and 750,000sq ft of research space, CJ Blossom Park has integrated great design to help increase the company’s global competitiveness.

**Simple House by Moon Hoon**
Reinforced concrete beams support massive concrete boxes stacked on top of one another to create a stunning visual appearance to this modern house. Floor-to-ceiling windows flank each side of the levels to capture the light throughout the day.

**Unicity by D-Werker Architects**
Completed in 2017, the Unicity project adds unique geometry to the Seoul skyline. It is the headquarters and research centre of cosmetics company Carver Korea.

Wandering in the clouds by CAA — **Wandering In The Clouds by CAA**
Inspired by the Taoist teaching of ‘Yi,’ this concept for Seoul creates a metaphorical cloud depicted in East Asian ancient fine art through a series of bridges and buildings.

Wandering in the clouds — **Wandering In The Clouds by CAA**
The design would include museum space, memorial gardens, and an arts and cultural centre while embracing the surrounding sacred South Korean mountain.

Namdeamun Office Building by Mecanoo Architects — **Namdaemun Tower by Mecanoo Architects**
Namdaemun Tower is an office high rise located next to the vastly popular Namdaemun Market which is the oldest and largest market in South Korea.

Peace and Cultural Center by CORE architects — **Peace and Cultural Center by CoRe Architects**
A former defense structure used by the military has been masterfully transformed into a Peace and Culture center for the public to use as a creative hub.

Peace and Cultural Center by CoRe Architects A former defense structure used by the military has been masterfully transformed into a Peace and Culture center for the public to use as a creative hub. — **Peace and Cultural Center by CoRe Architects**
CoRe Architects decided to keep the existing structure of the military bunker, adding steel and wood elements to create an inspiring creative facility.

seoullo 7017 skygarden by mvrdv — **Seoullo 7017 Skygarden by MVRDV**
Dutch practice MVRDV has transformed a disused overpass into a pedestrian promenade and ‘urban nursery’, rearing trees for the surrounding districts.

Seoninjang by studio minorormajor — **Seoninjang by Studio Minorormajor**
Studio Minorormajor has given a collection of abandoned warehouses the second chance at a new life with a proposed public space.

Start-up center Seoul by ensemble studio — **Start-up Center Seoul by Ensamble Studio**
The purpose of this forthcoming project is to build a state-of-the-art platform for living, working and learning.

lie sangbong headquarters seoul — **Lie Sangbong HQ by Unsangdong**
Local architects Unsangdong have transformed an existing building into a state-of-the-art headquarters for celebrated South Korean fashion designer Lie Sangbong.

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